Button-hole-stitching machine



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheer. 1.

J. H. REED 8v E. W. BEALE. BUTTON HOLE STITGHING MACHINE.

No. 389.010. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

J. H. REED & E. W. BEALE. BUTTON HOLE STITGHING MAGHINE.

No. 389,010. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

-llllllllllll Il (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

J. H. REED. & P. W. BBALE. BUTTON HOLE STITCHIN-G MACHINE,

Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

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llNiTEo STATES PATENT @Tirion JAMES H. REED AND FORRES'I W. BEALE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNGRS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T() THE GLBE BUTTONHOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF KITTERY, MANE.

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SPBCFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,010, dated September 1L, 1888.

Application filed June :28, 1886. Serial No. 206.393.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES H. REED and lionnnsr YV. REALE, both of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, both citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Button-Hole-Stitching Machincsof which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention is an improvement upon that described in our application for Letters Patent of the United States filed May 2S, 1885, Serial No. 203,508, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in vertical central section oi' a buttonhole stitching machine containing our improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation ofthe upper arm or bracket and its cap. Fig. 3 is a View' in plan ofthe machine inverted. Fig. 4. is an enlarged view in section and elevation illustrating the relation which the needles bear to each otherand to the loopforming devices while a stitch is being made, and also showing the manner of supporting the lower curved needle. Fig. 5 is a view upon the same section, showing in section and elevation the saine parts, butin a different position. Fig. 6 is a plan view, inverted, ol' the upper thread-loop engaging and spreading devices, showing the loop opened or spread thereby. 7 is a View in plan, inverted, of the same devices, showing the loop-engaging hook or point in the act of engaging the loop. Fig. 8 is a view ofthe sameparts shown in Figs. i and 5, but representing them in a different position. Fig. 9 is a view in perspective to further illustrate the construction and operation ol' said parts. Fig. 10 is a view to illustrate the recess formed in the side of the lower curved needle and the relation which it bears to the upper needle at the end of its upward movement. Fig. ll is a detail view of a portion of the upper needle, the lower curved needle, and a part of its supporting-block, represent-ing the position of the lower curved needle in relation to the upper needle at the (No model.)

end of its upward movement. Fig. l2 is a plan view of the lower curved needle at the end of its upward movement, showing the recess in its side and the relation which the straight needle bears to it.

A is the upper or straight needle. It islike that described in our said application, and is operated as therein set forth.

a is the take-up for the upper hread. It comprises an arm, a', which is pivoted at a2 to the cap ci at the end of the bracket at. It has a spring, ai', by which it is lifted or moved upwardly, and it is moved downwardly by a pin, a, fastened to the needle-bar projecting through the slot a7 in the cap of the machine and arranged to bear upon the upper surface ofthe take-up arm. This upper surface is provided with an inclined section, u?, upon which the pin bears in moving it downward, and with asection, am, which, when the takeup has been moved down suflicientlyfar, becomes parallel with the slot or line of movement of the pin, so that the pin, needle-bar, and needle continue their downward movement while the take-up remains stationary, and the take-up is held by the pin iu this stationary position until the needle-bar in its upward movement lifts the piu above this straightsection al, when the spring returns it to its highest position.

B is the throat of the machine.

C is the lower curved needle. lt is supported by a block or carriage, c, which is supported in a curved guideway or recess, c', in

the side of the arm or bracket o2, fastened to l the under surface of the bed of the machine. This block or carriage c is provided with a movement to or very nearly to the under surface of the work-plate, approaching the plate as nearly as possible in order that the curved needle may be made as short as possible, and may be rigidly held or supported during its reciprocation. By securing it to the upper end of a block or carriage movable in a suitable recess or guideway we are enabled to obtain this result in a cheap and desirable way. Theblock or carriage c is movable in the curved guideway, which is struck upon an are of a circle by means of a cam, c3, which is like the cam described in our said application, the :oo

e seaoli slide-bar e4 and thelink c5, which connects the end of the slide-bar with a pin or post, c, cxtending laterally from the block or carriage c. The needleG is also provided with a recesso?, formed in the edge nearest the line of reciprocation of the straight needle A and near the point of the needle. This construction is well shown in Figs. 11 and l2, and the position which the thread bears in relation to it to provide a narrow opening or space for the reception ofthe point of the straight needle is well represented in the said Figs. l1 and l2;

The take-up D for the lower thread,instead of being pivoted to a stationary point, as Vdescribed in our said application, is made movable, or travels with the carriage or block carrying the curved needle. This enables us to operate it more closely or ner than the takeup in said application can be operated. lt is, moreover, less complicated in construction and works more easily. It is pivoted to the end of the slide-bar c4, so as to swing vertically in relation thereto. It is moved upward upon the upper movement ofthe curved needle by means of the inclined or wedge-shaped surface d upon its upwardly-bent end d, which is arranged toistrike a surface or shoulder, di, at the proper interval, and by riding thereon throw the end of the take-u p upward to slacken the thread immediately upon the end of the upward movement of the curved needle,so as to form upon the end thereofaloop through which the upper needle immediatelypasses. After the upper needle has entered this loop, this takeup arm is immediately moved downward,upon the backward movement of the slide-bar cL and of the curved needle, by means of the spring d, which is fastened to the slide-bar c4 or link c and bears against the take-up bar. The time of the operation of the take up is the same as that of the take-up described in our said application, the principal difference being that the take-up herein described travels with the slide-rod and curved needle, while the other does not.

The upper thread-loop engaging andspreading mechanism varies from that described in our said application in that the upper threadloop is caught by a sliding point or hook, and` is by that point or hook moved to a position to bring the thread opposite the spreading point or hook, which is immediately operated or moved to open the loop, it being operated by the further movement of the bar or block carrying the loop-engaging point as it continues its movements away from the throat,the movement being stopped for an instant to permit the upper needle to draw up the thread to bring it to a shorter angle, in order that the spreading-hook may more surely engage it. rlhe loop, when thus caught and spread, will be held by the upper needle, which will have lifted above the work, and by the loop-engaging hook or arm and by the loop-spreading hook or arm, which have been moved away from each other, so that the loop is held spread or open in the line of reciprocation or movement of the lower curved needle. The lower curved needle upon passing through the loop taking its thread with it, the spreading hook or arm and the loop-engaging hook or arm are immediately returned to their original position to release the loop.

E is the loop engaging hook or arm. It is provided with a straight horizontal movement by means of the slide bar e, to the end of which is secured the lever e', pivoted at e", the link e", the bent lever e4, Jivoted at e, and the cam e, the arm eT of thebent lever having a canipin, which enters a cam-groovein the cam-disk. The cam is different from that described in our said application, in that it moves the loopengaging hook or arm E parallel with the line of reciprocation of the upper needle to engage i the upper thread, and then becomes stationary, while the upper needle continues its upward movement, and itis then immediately moved forward again to cause the loop-spreadi ing arm or hook to engage the thread and also to spread the loop.

F is the loop-spreading hook or arm. formed upon the inner side ofthe curved arm f, which is pivoted at-f to the under surface of the bed-plate, and there is an extensiomfz, which has the curved edge or cam f 3, which extends across the path or line of reciprocation ofthe loop-engaging hook, anda cam pin or stud, f", carried by the slide bar or plate upon which the loopengaging hook or arm is formed, is adapted to come in contact with this cam or curved surface f3 immediately upon the beginning ofthe second portion of the outward movement of the loop-engaging hook and to move the loop-spreading hook F transversely across the line of reeiprocation or movement of the loop engaging and carrying hook, and so that the point F shall engage one of the threads of the loop and shall carry it transversely to the loop-engaging hook, so that by the continued movement of the loopengaging hook and the loop-spreading hook the loop is opened sufficiently wide to receive the lower needle. Upon the reverse movement of the loop -engaging hook the loopspreading hook is returned yto its original position by means of the spring f5. This loopspreading mechanism is an improvement upon that described in our said application, in that less thread is required for forming the loop, and the movements of the loop-engaging hook and loop-spreading hook are made easier, and there is less thread to take up.

It will be seen that the take-np a for the upper thread is placed in close proximity to the needle A, and so that it takes the thread directly from the eye thereof, instead of being arranged back or behind the cap or head lof the machine, as has heretofore been the case. This construction we consider to be an improvement, because it enables us to take np the thread directly from the needle with less friction and more promptly and with less wear and strain upon the thread than has heretofore, so far as we know, been the case.

Itis.

IIO

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States 1. In a bntton-holestitehing machine, the combination ofthe upper needle, the curved lower needle, a reciprocating block or earriage supporting the saine, a curved guide or recess close to the throat, in which said block or carriage is movable, a take-np for the lower thread moved horizontally,having the inclined surface or edge, d, adapted to come in contact with a shoulder as it is moved, whereby it is moved npwardiy, and a spring for moving it downwardly when the incline is not in contact with the shoulder, substantially as described.

2. ln a button-hole-stitehing machine, the combination of the bed of the niachine, having a throat formed therein, a clamp-plate and means for feeding the same, the reci procating straight eye-pointed needle, the lower loopspreading devices, comprising a horizontally-movable loopengaging hook or point, E, and means for moving the same to engage the upper thread When presented to it by the upper straight needle, and loopspreading hook or point F, formed upon the end of a. pivoted arm and movable transversely upon the are of a circle across the line of movement of the loopengaging hook or point E, whereby the loop is opened or spread, and the reci preceting eye-pointed lower curved needle having a notch orreeess, c7, near its point, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a button-hole-stitehing machine, of a bed having athroat,a clampplat-e, and means for feeding the saine, an npper reciprocating eye-pointed straight needle, a lower reciprocating eyepointed curved neef dle having a notch or recess, ci, nearits point, 

